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Lifting weights is a very good way for everyone to increase muscle fitness. It doesn't matter how old you are, how fit you are or how much you weigh. Lifting weights is simple, fun and will help you improve your body shape. Weight lifting will strengthen your muscles and can help you lose weight.
The weightlifting exercises on this page are simple to do and you can do them at home, at school or at your community centre. Doing these weightlifting exercises will not give you big, bulky muscles, they will condition your body and leave you looking and feeling terrific!
Please note the pictures go faster than you would do the exercises. They should be done in a slow, controlled way.
Click here for your Smartplay Exercise Diary
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| General fitness | Equipment | Medical check up | Safety | Terms to know | Key to motivation | The circuit |
Why do light weights?
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- to increase or maintain muscle fitness and muscular
balance
- to build confidence and self esteem
- to help condition and change body shape - decrease
fat
- to help improve bone density (strengthen bones)
- please note you will not get big bulky muscles using the light
weights described in this program but you will become conditioned
and look terrific!
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For whom?
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- conditioning is for everyone
- young and old
- women and men
- fit and unfit
- high performance or recreational athletes
- everyone can benefit by using weights in their exercise programs
- your choice of program depends on what you are trying to achieve
- it varies from very light weights (for muscle shaping, body
toning and endurance)
- to very heavy weights (for muscle size and strength)
- working out with weights is nothing to be afraid of if you
follow the correct guidelines.
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General fitness
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Remember
To assist weight management you must combine this weights program
with sensible eating and include walking, jogging, cycling or
swimming as part of your daily exercise program
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Equipment
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You will require:
as little as 2 books, 2 soup cans, 2 bricks, 2 light dumbells
or fill 2 x 500ml plastic softdrink bottles with sand
a tracksuit, or gym gear - always wear shoes
elastic exercise bands
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Medical Check Up
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| A medical examination is essential prior to commencement
of a weights program for those who are over 35 years of age, have
been inactive or have a known medical condition - e.g. heart problems,
asthma. If you have an injury consult your doctor or physiotherapist
before beginning. |
Safety
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- using heavy weights can be dangerous
- begin with light weights and follow these safety guidelines
- follow correct technique at all times, take care of your back
!!
- maintain good posture - unlock your knees, keep feet apart,
head up, chin in
- always remember to breathe out on exertion - never hold your
breath
- on all arm exercises keep shoulders down and back
- on all exercises tighten stomach muscles and squeeze buttocks
- control the weights - control them throughout the entire range
of movement
- don’t allow them to fall and hit the ground or crash
down on top of other equipment
- young children ( under 15 years ) should never lift heavy
weights - stick to the small weights circuit and exercises using
their own body weight
- progress slowly, never attempt to lift heavier weights than
you are capable of lifting
- if you’re a beginner allow one day of rest between workouts
- if using heavier weights use a buddy system - work with a
partner (a spotter) and consider wearing safety equipment -
gloves and a weight belt, always wear shoes.
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Terms to Know
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- dumbells - small hand held weights (books or soup cans can
be used as a substitute)
- barbells - a long bar to which flat weights (plates) are attached
using collars
- weight ( w ) - how heavy the dumbell / barbell is that you
are required to lift
- repetitions (reps) - the number of times you are requested
to lift the weight
- sets (s) - when you have completed the required number of
repetitions (e.g. 10 - 15 reps) then you have finished 1 set
- program - the order or style in which you complete your routine
e.g. 3 x 10 @ 5 kgs. means three sets... of ten repetitions
... using 5 kilogram weights
- elastic exercise band - a 1 metre length of elastic tubing
used to provide resistance for exercise
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The key to motivation ... is variation
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1. Keeping heart
rates up!
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Every so often pull all participants into
the centre of the room for the 30 second count. Do some
aerobic activity (jogging, jumping), triceps dips, sit ups
or push ups. |
2. Repetitions
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Continue with the 30 second count or music
but get students to aim for 25 repetitions of that exercise
then do star jumps, skipping or line jumping for the remainder
of the 30 seconds. Next time try 30 repetitions... |
3. 30 second sprint
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Lay out circuit cards - begin at exercise
No.1 and do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds,
repeat for exercise No.2... etc. Move through to exercise
No. 24 with NO rest periods between exercises (as you improve
increase the time at each exercise e.g. from 30 seconds
up to 1 minute). |
4. In and Outs
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Lay out circuit cards and inform students
that they have to do 30 seconds of skipping or 10 push ups
or 10 sit ups in between each exercise. |
5. Copy Cats
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Work with a partner, your partner does 10
reps, you do 10 reps, your partner does 15 reps, you do
15 reps, your partner does 20 reps, you do 20 rep ... etc.
either do the same exercise or a different exercise up to
30 reps... Then work back down to 10 reps. |
6. Single Exercise Blast
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Use one particular exercise (e.g. biceps curls)
as your interval exercise, after each new exercise repeat
your interval exercise (e.g. 10 biceps curls). |
7. Blast a Muscle Group
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Place circuit cards out in their colour groups,
try doing 3-5 consecutive exercises that are from the same
muscle group (i.e. the same coloured cards), that way you’ll
be blasting a particular muscle group i.e. all leg exercises |
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This information has been taken from: http://www.smartplay.net
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